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New laws designed to protect victims of stalking

An inquiry earlier this year found that there are approximately 120,000 victims of stalking each year, most of whom are women. However, only 53,000 incidents are recorded as crimes by the police and only 1 in 50 of those leads to an offender being jailed. The inquiry, aswell as a series of cases involving stalkers who went on to kill, led to calls for reform.

In answer to this, the government has put new laws designed to give protection to victims of stalking into force this week, with the introduction of two exact criminal offences of stalking. The new offences sit alongside the existing Harassment Act of 1997, but are specifically aimed toward highlighting the serious impact that stalking can have on the lives of victims. Victims and Equalities Minister Helen Grant stated that the laws will ensure that victims are better protected, aswell as offenders brought to justice.

Alongside the introduction of new laws, there has been a £150,000 fund set up for domestic homicide reviews to help local areas prevent future tragedies. An additional £50,000 funding has been pledged to support frontline agencies tackling the issue of domestic violence.

Alexis Bowater, a former victim of a stalking campaign, says part of the problem is that stalkers are too often seen as rejected suitors rather than criminals. She claims that we are socialised by romantic films to “think that the guy will always get the girl, but stalking is not a romcom gone wrong – it is serious and pathological”.

The Home Office Minister Jeremy Browne said that the new legislation is aimed towards highlighting the seriousness of stalking as an offence, aswell as raising awareness and bringing justice to victims.